Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died at the age of 29, the NBA team has confirmed.

The Canadian was a first-round draft pick in 2019 and had played only two games this season because of injuries.

The Grizzlies said they are “heartbroken” by the loss. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.

“Brandon was an outstanding team-mate and an even better person whose impact on the organisation and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten,” the team said in a statement., external

Clarke was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder and traded to the Grizzlies soon after.

He went on to play 309 NBA games, including 50 starts, and scored an average of 10.2 points per game.

Two-time major winner Jon Rahm says he does not envy the job facing LIV Golf’s bosses but remains confident they will find a solution to ensure its survival.

Last month, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced it will withdraw its multi-billion dollar backing for the breakaway circuit at the end of the year.

LIV announced a “strategic evolution” in response – including a newly established independent board – as it bids to find replacement financial investors.

Rahm, 31, was arguably the most high profile name to join LIV when he left the PGA Tour in December 2023 for a deal worth a reported £222m ($300m).

Some players, including Brooks Koepka, have since returned to the PGA Tour, which rewrote its rules in December to allow the five-time major winner to come back, subject to certain sanctions.

Spain’s Rahm did not follow suit and remains under long-term contract with LIV, but last week reached a deal with the DP World Tour – formerly the European Tour – which will see him retain his membership and remain eligible for next year’s Ryder Cup.

Rahm said he was “in control of his golf game” but “not in control of anything else” when asked whether uncertainty over the future of LIV Golf was on his mind before this week’s US PGA Championship at Aronimink, Pennsylvania.

“Out of the few talents I have in my life, fixing a business is not one of them. I might be the worst person for that,” he told BBC Sport.

“My job is to play golf, luckily. I’m decent at it. And that’s what I can focus on.

“It’s the people in charge of LIV, whose job I do not envy for a second, it’s their job to fix it.”

Rahm, the two-time reigning LIV season champion and 2026 points leader, said he had no regrets over joining LIV and backed organisers to make it sustainable.

He added: “I would say I’ve made a lot of decisions in my life and I’ve never gone back thinking ‘Oh, had I known this again, I would do X and Y different’.

“If I lived my life like that as a golfer, I would be a very pessimistic person.

“I have faith in the work that they’re doing. I have faith that they’re going to come up with a good plan.

“Until that plan is explained to us, I don’t think I need to add any attention to it.”

Rahm is still banned from the PGA Tour but is eligible to participate in the US PGA Championship because the latter is run by the PGA of America, which is a separate organisation.

This was no ordinary meeting at Real Madrid’s training ground. Journalists were summoned at short notice, and speculation immediately began.

An announcement regarding a new manager seemed the most logical explanation, especially given what sources close to the club had suggested. But if that were the case, why deliver it in person and by Florentino Perez himself?

Like the Xabi Alonso or Alvaro Arbeloa appointments, such news is typically released in an official statement, followed by an organised press conference.

Instead, what followed was something entirely different.

As Perez entered the room, phone in hand, papers laid out beside him, he launched into a lengthy and impassioned tirade. His targets: the press, the league, and the narratives surrounding both him and the club.

It was a side of Perez few had seen in years: animated, confrontational and full of energy.

At several points, he pulled out his phone and read aloud excerpts from critical articles, directly naming and calling out newspapers. Journalists in the room who were singled out didn’t stay silent, they pushed back. It became increasingly clear that Perez had called the press conference not just to address the media, but to challenge and in some cases attempt to discredit specific outlets.

For nearly 90 minutes, Perez spoke with visible anger and intensity. It was less a press conference and more a prolonged, unfiltered outburst.

His message to the media was clear. Right now at Real Madrid, there is one man firmly in control. Until that changes, the 79-year-old remains the ultimate authority and big decisions over the club will rest with him, including the next manager.

He will not tolerate what he sees as misinformation about himself or the club. He is not “sick” or “tired”. He is, he says, in perfectly good health.

The tension escalated further when Perez referenced an article written by a female journalist, questioning her understanding of football. He then pointed to one of the few women in the room who had her hand up to ask a question, saying: “Let’s ask her, because you men are all ugly.”

After two years without major success, questions about Perez’s future will now grow louder as information about the re-elections Perez has announced spreads across Madrid.

He projects absolute confidence, insisting he retains the full backing of Real Madrid’s members and even describing himself as “the greatest president” in the club’s history.

But after two seasons, three managers and no silverware, doubts remain. Have the members seen enough? Is it time for change? And most importantly, is Florentino Perez still the right man to lead it?